Mowing and reaping machine.



no. 060,607. rumen oct. 30, |900. c. WHITNEY, 0am.

0 WHITNEY, Administrafrix. HDWING AND R'EAPING MACHINE.

(Application led Dsc. 2, 1898.)`

(No Model.)

:Rs es, PHoroLvTnoJwAsHmTon n c UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES WHITNEY, OF WINNETKA, ILLINOIS; ORRILLA WHITNEY ADMIN- ISTRATRIX OF SAID CHARLES WHITNEY, DECEASED.

MowlN-G AND REAP'ING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,607, dated October 3Q, 1900.

' Application led December 2, 1898. Serial No. 698,048. (No model.)

To if/ZZ whont'it may con/cerro:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WHITNEY, a 'citizen of the United States, residing at Winnetka, in the county of Cook and State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Mowing and Reaping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to the cutting apparatus of mowers and reapers,

rb and has for its object to minimize the friction of the reciprocating cutter by providing an improved arrangement of antit'riction-bearings between the cutter-bar and the lingerbar, as will be fully described.

The improvement is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of a fragment of such cutting apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same.

2o Referring to the views, l denotes the lingerbar. Except in the particulars hereinafter pointed out this ngerbar may be of the usual form and construction. Attached to this bar in any suitable way are guard-fingers 2, with the specific construction of which my present invention is not particularly concerned.

The cutters are denoted by 3. They are riveted or otherwise attached to the cutter- 3o bar 4, which may also be of any preferred construction, except as will be more fully pointed out. The upper surface of the finger-bar lis provided along its front edge with a rabbet 5, forming a channel or raceway in which the cutter-bar slides, the top edge of the bar being flush with the upper surfaceof the finger-bar, and the rear edges 6 of the knives overlapping the shoulder 7 at the rear edge of the rabbet. Along the front edge of 4o the linger-bar, below the rabbet 5, there is formed a groove or channel 8, which is inset. from the front edge of the bar and the particular form or configuration of which is not' essential to the present invention.

The cutter-bar has along itsl front edge a vertical liange 9, which depends from the under side of the bar in rear of the shouldered portion of the guard fingers and between them and the front edge of the linger-bar, so

5o as to close the groove or channel formed in the front edge of the linger-bar and complete Vfriction-balls l0.

the raceway formed by the latter for the anti- The groove 8 in the fingerbar has a projection l1, forming a support to receive the downward thrust of the balls, and the space between the front edges of the projection and the depending flange 9 on the cutter-bar is insufficient to allow the balls to fall out.

In the construction herein illustrated the 6o flange 9 is provided with a narrow projection l2, extending backwardly toward the projection ll. This backward extension is, however, not essential, particularly as it is desirable that the channel for the balls should be o5 open at the bottom, so as to permit the escape of dirt, dust, dre.

As before described, the cutter-bar slides in the rabbeted raceway provided for it on the upper surface of the finger-bar. It rests, 7o however, upon the top of the balls lO, and it is desirable that there should he sufticient clearance between the rear edge of the cutterbar and the shoulder 7 to permit the balls also to take the backward thrust ofthe cutter 75 bar. The cutter-bar is therefore wholly supported by the balls, and a simple and eilicient bearing is thus provided for the cutterbar throughout its length.

As shown in the drawings, a cutter-cap 13 8o is riveted or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the finger-bar and projects over the cutters. It is preferable that the cap be provided with antifriction-rollers 14 and a shoulder l5 to receive the rear edge of the 85 knives.

Having described my4 invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cutting apparatus for mowers and 9o reapers, the combination ot' a finger-bar and an angle-iron cutter-bar, the former having a groove or channel along its front edge to form a raceway for antifriction-balls, and the latter working upon the top of the iinger-bar and having its vertical iange depending in front of the groove to hold the balls in place.

2. In a cutting apparatus for mowers and reapers, the combination of a linger-bar rabbeted on its upper surface, a cutter-bar workloo ing in said rabbet, a groove or channel on the front edge of the finger-bar to form a supporting-race for antifrietion-balls, and a -bar4 between the guard-finger and the front flange on the cutter-bar no hold the balls in edge of the cutter-bar, said flange operating place. v to hold the balls in place, and the balls being 3. In a cutting apparatus for mowers and adapted bo receive the downward pressure 5 reapers, the combination of a finger-bar raband backward thrust; of the cutter-bar.

beted on its upper surfaee a cutter-bar Work' ing in Said rabbe, a guard-ringer secured no CHARLES WHITNEY' the finger-bar, a groove or channel for anti- Witnesses: friction-balls in the front edge of the nger- M. L. PRICE, [o bar, and a flange depending from the cutter- ANNA SORINNGEOUR. 

